"A classic asymmetric risk is one where the downside is no payoff rather than harm or loss. For example, asking a question. If the answer isn't productive, you might waste a few minutes but you could gain something important. Asymmetric risks have little downside but lots of potential upside (or vice versa, but avoid that kind!). People fear rejection in this scenario. Even if you make a request and get ignored or denied, that might not sting as much as you anticipate, or lose face."
"It was inappropriate and I ignored the email, but I quite admired the person for asking. When I try something small and it doesn't work, I expect to feel frustrated but, in reality, I'm often quite proud of myself for trying. Asymmetric risks give you a lot of headroom for risks that don't work out. Even with a lot of duds and just a few hits, risk-taking is still valuable overall."
Rebecca is habitually cautious and wants to practice taking more calculated, well-thought-out risks while avoiding physical harm. Asymmetric risks carry little downside and substantial upside, such as asking a question where failure means only wasted minutes but success could deliver important gains. People often overestimate the sting of rejection; a bold request can inspire admiration even if inappropriate. Repeated small attempts build pride and experience rather than lasting loss. Asymmetric risks provide headroom for failures, and accumulating many small experiments with a few successes makes risk-taking a valuable, evolving skill.
Read at Psychology Today
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